The Last Train Home
by gotluka'scookies
Summary: light hearted Carby fic in three parts. Written for the fic contest at the C&P board.
1. Susan's project

**The Last Train Home**

AN: Sorry if Carter seems patronising; he wasn't supposed to. Sorry if it's shite; I wrote it. Sorry if it seems that I am addicted semicolons; I am.

And yes, I know the fic is unrealistic, but so was the helicopter falling on Romano's head in Freefall.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters in this fic.

_**PART 1 - Susan's project**_

The member list as it stood looked like this:

Susan

Neela

Sam

Luka

Randi

Frank

Jerry

Chuny

Haleh

Elizabeth

Having added Elizabeth's name to the list with a flourish, Susan sighed. They were going to have to change their strategy. It had all been going so well until about a month ago. Then something had changed. She was sure of it.

She and Neela had set up 'The Carter and Abby Reunion Club', or CAR Club, for short, a few months back. It had started off as something to occupy herself with while she was stuck on bed-rest; now it was a whole lot more that. So far they had ten members, the most fervent of whom were she, Luka and Neela. She was pretty sure Frank and Jerry were just in it for the free food (in fact Jerry was in it for the free food; Frank was in it to reluctantly give his free food to Jerry, sneaking tiny morsels to his own mouth when he thought no-one was watching).

Until now, the CAR club had been working together very subtly, and Carter and Abby hadn't noticed that they had been put together on more cases than usual, or if they had they hadn't said anything. Their code names were Peaches and Herb, and Susan had exercised her jurisdiction to ban the use of their real names together in public, just to be on the safe side. Besides, it was more fun that way.

Frank and Jerry had been instrumental in her plan to coerce the caretakers into stopping the elevator half way up the shaft with Carter and Abby in it, on which she had effectively wasted about ten donuts and one lunch-break of outrageous flirting with a caretaker in her plump postnatal state. Unfortunately this plan had been discarded on account of Neela and some others saying that it was too drastic a measure. It was possible that it might arouse suspicion, and she was not sure that Kerry would have approved. She was pretty sure that Kerry knew about CAR, but had turned a blind eye. No doubt elevators would set her muttering about health and safety and insurance policies.

They had settled on a party instead. Officially, it was Susan's housewarming-cum-Valentines party. Unofficially, it was the CAR party. She'd even made a sign with 'CAR' written on it. The beauty of it was that Carter and Abby would see it and be none the wiser. She could always tell them afterwards, if it worked out. She might be in trouble with Abby, though. She only hoped that Abby and Carter would be able to work through the argument she was almost certain they'd had a month ago.

Constructive abuse very welcome!


	2. Sausages and Salad

Summary: just read the damn thing. Pretty please. (and review it. Pretty please)

Disclaimer: not mine etc etc

AN: you asked for it, so here goes.....

_**PART 2 - Sausages and Salad**_

Abby stood by one of Susan's 'CAR' signs and looked around. She still didn't really understand what that was all about. She'd asked earlier, but Susan had just come out with something vague about sharing lifts or something. She'd ask again later. Maybe the three-month-old was driving her crazy. Carter wasn't here yet, so she could afford to mingle without risking bumping into him.

When he finally entered, she was chatting to Neela on the other side of the room. She watched as his eyes searched the room. Finding her face, they lingered for a second, and she held his gaze. A second later he had turned away, handing a bottle of wine to Susan, saying all the right things to his hostess.

At one point she got stuck next to him at the buffet. They shared an abrupt hello, and then she managed to avert disaster by leaving the sausages on cocktail sticks for the green salad at the other end of the table. Cursing herself, she realised that Carter knew she'd never been a fan of lettuce. But then he knew she was avoiding him anyway, so she supposed it didn't really matter.

Half an hour later a momentary parting in the company showed him looking pointedly at the green salad left on her plate, and then at her face with just the hint of a smile. She was surprised by his sudden openness, and glad when Susan blocked her view.

"Having fun?" Susan asked.

"Yeah, thanks. It's been a while since we had a proper staff party."

"I know. Everyone seems to have been so busy recently. We must be getting old - no time to party."

"I don't know, things seem to have settled down a bit lately. I'm getting used to this whole doctor thing, at least."

"You get any roses this morning?"

"I got some from my Mom," Abby said, rolling her eyes. "You?"

"Well, Chuck kinda went to town. Let's just say I got corn with cheese on top. Nothing on the cards with you and Carter?"

"Susan! We've been through this before. We're just friends."

"Really? Because for friends you don't seem to have been talking very much recently. You two have a lovers' tiff?"

"Susan, we're friends! And we didn't have a tiff! We just had a....a disagreement, that's all."

"Could I use your bathroom?" Morris interrupted, looking like he was about to spew and feeling sorry for himself.

"Sure, through there on the right."

"What did you invite him for?"

"I didn't. He just showed up. Had the cheek to bring some of his friends with him as well." She sighed, "Guess I'd better go mingle."

-----

Carter sat and watched Abby and Luka dancing. At least someone was having a good time. Luka seemed very animated, and Abby was laughing. She caught Carter's eye, and quickly became serious again.

"So, how's Sam?" she asked Luka absently

"She's fine. She had to take a shift, but she's coming over later."

Step three of Operation Carby (Susan had come up with this name herself, and had thought it terribly clever until Neela had said that the amalgamation of two peoples' names was frequently used by strange obssessives on the internet to refer to couples from TV shows.) having been initiated successfully by Luka, Susan moved on to step four, the most perilous of all the stages so far. Slowly, she made her way over to Carter. This was going to be a delicate operation.

"Care for a dance, Doctor Carter?"

Not waiting for an answer, she dragged him to his feet and picked a spot where Carter would have a good view of Abby. She had planned to start off with a couple of gentle conversations about old times. However, Carter was already staring at Abby, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity. She jumped straight in.

"You still love her, right?"

His eyes snapped back to her face. "Who?" he asked, quickly.

"Luka," she answered, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Who d'you think?"

His eyes returning to Abby, he said, "we...we're complicated."

"You fell out?"

"Not exactly. Well, kind of, I guess. Like I said, we're complicated."

"Well, don't you think Valentine's Day would be a good time to kiss and make up?"

"I don't know..."

"Let me put it more simply for you. If you don't get your butt over there right now and ask her to dance, I will have to resort to physical force. And I took self defence. So, what's it gonna be?"

She gave him a gentle-ish shove in the right direction for good measure, with the result that he arrived abruptly behind Luka looking more than slightly sheepish.

"Ummm, ummm...mind if I cut in?" he asked, self-consciously.

"She's all yours," said Luka, transferring Abby's hands to Carter's shoulders before she could protest.

Luka grinned at Susan, who had just signalled to Neela at her post by the hi-fi to put on 'Reunited' by Peaches and Herb, which had been selected at the meeting the week before, and which Chuck had sweetly spent two hours searching through packing boxes to find. After that, they'd got a whole set of slow love-songs lined up.

"Going well so far," Luka observed.

"Yeah, apart from Neela was supposed to wait for the end of the song that was on, not just switch straight away," Susan responded anxiously.

"I don't think they noticed," he reassured her.

They danced in silence for a while, awkwardly. He spoke first.

"Abby, I think we need to talk."

"You wanna get out of here?" she said, "you know...and the ditch the friends?" He smiled, remembering.

They fetched their coats, made their apologies to Susan, and left, closely followed by a wolf whistle from Pratt. Fortunately Susan managed to close the door before the applause broke out.

It was unusually still for Chicago, but there was a biting chill in the air, and the sidewalk was icy. Abby quietly snuck her hand into Carter's, looking up at him to check that it was ok. By wordless mutual consent they wandered the quiet streets at random, lost in thought.

----------------

Review? Please?


	3. The After Party

AN: sorry about the delay - I kinda managed to find myself half a life. But here is the third and final chapter. Thank you to all those who have reviewed the previous ones and made me smile :)

DISCLAIMER: not mine, unfortunately

SUMMARY: much carbyfuzz

_**PART 3 - The After Party**_

He didn't know who had made the decision to stop, when it had happened, or how they had got there. It didn't really matter. They had got there, stopped, and he thought they'd been standing there for some time now. They were standing by the river, a different part to usual, their hands resting, entwined, on the parapet. They were both staring out at the streaky light reflected from the water, each occasionally stealing a glance at the other, and quickly looking away, neither wanting to address what they both knew had to be addressed.

"Valentine's Day," she whispered, still not looking at him.

"Five years ago today, I was stabbed." It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Two years ago today..."

"...we were still together," he finished for her.

Again, they stood in silence as the river flowed slowly past. It might have been a few minutes, maybe longer. It was cold. He gently disengaged his hand from hers, and turned towards her. She edged a little closer, toying with the front of his jacket, so he could no longer see her eyes. He brought his hand up to the icy porcelain of her cheekbone, brushing along it and beyond to tuck her hair behind her ear, ducking his head down to look her in the eye, a slight shake of the head, questioning. Immediately she understood: she always did. They both knew what this was about. This was about the end of all the avoidance, the games, the hidden feelings. Still, he could see the hesitation, see her wavering, unsure. Slowly, carefully, he tipped up her chin, leaving a lingering kiss at the very corner of her mouth.

Drawing his head back, he gauged her reaction. A slight flicker of the eyelid, her eyes ever those unfathomable pools of shining darkness. A slight twitch of the mouth, that was all. She wasn't sure. He leaned in again, but this time she decisively turned her head away, simultaneously slipping her hands between his encircling arms and around his neck to curb his feelings of rejection. He felt them there gratefully, one still warm from being in his, the other icy cold from the bitter Chicago night. She was close now, close enough for him to feel her warm breath fluttering between the opening of his thick coat and through his thin jumper, and close enough to feel the slight pressure of her body against his.

Softly, "Abby," he said, "I need to know."

He felt her answer breathed back at him, "I know. I know. Just–" And she broke off. She needed more time.

He waited a few seconds, allowing her to continue if she wanted to. This was different to their passionate collision of a month ago. Did she know, he wondered, did she know how he had felt on waking, only moments after she had left, the bed still warm from her presence? Did she know how the single word on the piece of paper she had left behind her had rent his heart in two? He doubted it. 'Sorry'. Probably she thought it was better for him this way. That it was too soon after Kem. That She should never have gone home with him in the first place. But mostly she was just scared.

He looked down at where his fingers were now interlaced with her hair, a gently coaxing thumb rubbing up and down encouragingly.

"You want me to go first?"

A slight inclination of the head. He obliged.

"Abby," he began, "I can't tell you we're gonna be ok, because I don't know...but I know I want us to be. I want for us to be ok more than anything else right now.

"But I can't do this again, I can't deal with it, not after – well, after everything...I can't deal with all the guessing and all the hiding anymore. I won't go through it again, not now. So I need to know what this is, what we're doing here. Do you understand? Abby?

"I need to know where we are."

Again, the slight inclination of the head. Then she pulled back, her eyes reflecting the fear that was in his. And, just for a moment, he was so afraid. Afraid of what was coming next. Afraid that all his worst fears would be realised. So much was hanging in the balance. But, for once, he had misread her.

Yes, she was afraid. But her fears were different.

"John," she started abruptly, "I think– I think I love you."

It was so quiet, barely perceptible. But it was loud enough for him. Loud enough for him to breathe again, loud enough to send the blood pulsing through his veins, loud enough to spread a smile so wide across his face that he thought it would crack. The Tornado, definitely. A simple 'I missed you' would have sufficed. An 'I want you,' from Abby, would have been enough. And now he loved her more than ever for saying it when she didn't have to.

He could see the beginnings of a smile nipping at the corners of her mouth. He leaned in to kiss the proud smile, but as their lips connected he pulled back. With a carefully raised eyebrow, he slyly asked, "you only think?"

Her anxious eyes caught his tone, and she smiled slowly, widely.

"I think I know." As another eyebrow teasingly joined the first, she added, "and I think you know I know."

Beginning to feel like Joey in an episode of friends he had seen just the other day, and sensing that this could go on forever – although presumably they had the rest of their lives now, he didn't want to waste another second of it like this – he ended it.

Finally, the icy barrier of her lips parted under his, and he was allowed past into the warmth that was her mouth. It was a warmth that seemed to spread through him and radiate into the night from his very fingertips, as he pulled back and whispered, barely a centimetre from her face, "I know." He knew. And he couldn't believe how much he wanted to stand on the bench behind them and yell it at the rooftops, yell it at the river, yell it at the darkened windows of the sleeping occupants around him. The only thing stopping him was that Abby was right here and he didn't want to move even an inch.

But she was pulling away from him again, and, standing on tiptoes and pulling his head down a little lower, she whispered into his ear "I love you."

He grinned as he leaned down to her ear, and whispered, "don't tell anyone, but I love you too."

"I know. Abby Lockhart never would have believed you. But Doctor Lockhart does."

"At least your diagnostic skills have improved. Good thing I'm not dating this Abby person," he said, wrapping his arms more tightly around her. "You're shaking."

"Must be the cold," she beamed.

"You want to go home? I have no idea where the hell we are. But I guess we could try."

"There's an el station across the street. My car's at Susan's."

"We can get it in the morning. Or the day after. You're not working tomorrow, right?"

"I haven't pulled a sicky in a while." They turned to cross the road, his hand gripping her shoulder. "Carter, you're hurting me!"

He loosened his grip and kissed the top of her head by way of apology.

"At least Susan'll be pleased"

"You know about that too?" she asked, surprised.

"Sure. What?" he asked, as she looked at him sceptically. "You underestimated my powers of perception? Of course I know about it. How's it going, Peaches?"

"Well, reunited and it feels pretty damn good, and all that. I'm just a little shocked that my boyfriend's thinking of his hot ex-girlfriend at a time like this. Horrified, in fact."

"Hey, now. You were a hot ex-girlfriend until about an hour ago."

"But a really, really hot ex-girlfriend, right?"

"A really, really, really hot ex-girlfriend. Though she's now facing some pretty strong competition from my current girlfriend."

"Did I mention that I loved you?"

"I believe it may have come up."

"Shame it wasn't a few years earlier, right?"

"Well, we never were great on timing."

"Like now, when we're standing in a Chicago el station in the dead of night in the middle of February with nearly an hour until the next train comes."

"It's not an hour, it's forty minutes. And it could be worse. We could have missed the last one."

"But we didn't."

"No, we didn't."

Not that it would really have mattered anyway.

..............................................................................

FINIS :)

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